Diablo's Bride
by Spunky0ne
Summary: After the quincy war, Ichigo and Uryu are placed in Muken to face trial for their roles in the former king's murder. Knowing that the two will not receive a fair trial, Byakuya makes an unholy deal with someone else whom Central 46 has used against his will and continues to keep imprisoned…yaoi, mpreg…Aizen/Byakuya, Ichigo/Uryu, Kurushimi/Tetsuya.
1. Betrayal

**Diablo's Bride**

**By Spunky0ne**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**After the quincy war, Ichigo and Uryu are placed in Muken to face trial for their roles in the former king's murder. Knowing that the two will not receive a fair trial, Byakuya makes an unholy deal with someone else whom Central 46 has used against his will and continues to keep imprisoned…yaoi, mpreg…Aizen/Byakuya, Ichigo/Uryu, Kurushimi/Tetsuya. Love and thanks to Shima-Taicho31 for letting me use Kuri Kuri and his family!**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Betrayal**

"You seem very troubled, Cousin," Tetsuya Kuchiki noted as the two rode Tetsuya's tall black Arabian towards Central 46, "Did word come about what will be done with Ichigo and his friend, Uryu?"

"Nothing official has been stated," Byakuya said, frowning, "but comments I hear from some of the other leaders and elders indicate a certain readiness to forget that Ichigo, although it was his hand that took the old king's life, was also the one who slew Ywach. They are focused on the fact that, despite his deeds after, he did murder the king. His friend aided the enemy and both of them are, in fact, quincies...although of mixed blood."

"You think that the deliberations today will go ill?" Tetsuya asked.

"I do not know," Byakuya sighed, discontentedly, "But I think they might. They are being too hasty about this, Tetsuya. Ichigo was not under his own control when he was forced to slay the king. I am afraid that because his friend clearly joined Ywach of his own free will, even though he was held to that by force after, it reflects poorly on Ichigo, especially because Ichigo insists on defending the other boy."

"Well," Tetsuya said, lowering his eyes, "Ichigo...cares a lot about Uryu. They were growing close after Ichigo's troubles with the fullbringers."

Byakuya turned his head slightly to look at Tetsuya over his shoulder.

"Do you know if they were romantically involved?" he asked.

Tetsuya shifted uncomfortably and went silent for a moment.

"I know that speaking about things of that nature is hard for you because you are friends with them."

"They have gone out with Renji and me on several dates...at least, before the quincy war. Th-they were affectionate with each other, but...I think both were shy about making the first move."

"Hmmm," Byakuya mused, "It seems that even if they weren't intimate, they were going to be. That will not sit well with the council."

"Byakuya, is there anything you can do?"

"My power to do anything is limited, I am afraid. The council is leaning towards backlash and over-reaction in the wake of the war. They are taking some more impulsive actions that they should slow down and think about. Just last week, they chose not to acknowledge Sosuke Aizen's importance in the war. They voted to reject the captain commander's call to commute his sentence, based on his actions in the war and the destruction of the hogyoku. It wasn't enough that he was part of what made it possible for Ichigo to win, now both he and Ichigo are being swept under the rug."

"I know that the conflict was brutal. The war was a horrible thing," Tetsuya mused, "but even so, it seems wrong to do that to them, after they saved us all."

"I have little sympathy for Sosuke, I am afraid," Byakuya admitted solemnly, "but Ichigo is a friend, and he never meant to harm the king. His hand was forced."

"But no one can prove that," Tetsuya sighed, "It's so unfair! And now, Ichigo could be imprisoned in Muken, just like Aizen, who betrayed Soul Society."

"The thought is unbearable," Byakuya said, anger swelling under the words, "They are making a big mistake!"

"_Hola_, Byakurai, and what a pleasure to see you, lovely Tetsu-hana," a deep male voice greeted them.

The two Kuchiki's heads turned and they caught sight of Ichigo's cousin by marriage and Shima clan leader, Kurushimi Shima, sitting atop a beautiful silver Andalusian stallion that turned a charmed eye on Arashi and nickered warmly.

"Greetings, Kurushimi," Byakuya said, politely, but a bit stiffly.

"Good morning, Lord Shima," Tetsuya added.

"Tetsu-hana," the Shima leader chided the younger Kuchiki, "I have given you permission to call me Kuri-kuri."

Tetsuya blushed.

"Um..."

"I believe my cousin means to say that it would not be proper for him to refer to you that way in public," Byakuya said sternly.

"Eh, as you wish," Kurushimi sighed, "But I am glad you are here. I am worried for my cousin, Ichibun and his beloved Uryu."

Byakuya's frown deepened.

"You speak as though they were intimate," he said softly.

"Well," Kuri said, tilting his head slightly, "They might not have tasted each other's lips as I have tasted the pretty Tetsu-hana's, but there is no denying that what is between them is heating up."

Tetsuya's flush intensified and Byakuya's reiatsu flickered warningly, making the Shima leader smirk.

"But we should go inside. The council will be meeting soon."

The riders stopped their horses, and Kuri slid down off his stallion's back, then extended a hand to assist Tetsuya. The sapphire-eyed Kuchiki gave him a shy smile as their hands touched and Byakuya bristled and avoided Kuri's hand as it was offered again.

"I have to speak to my Granduncle Nori before the council meeting," Byakuya said shortly.

Kuri smiled charmingly and captured Tetsuya's hand again.

"I will see your cousin inside personally," he offered.

Byakuya gave him a smoky glare and flash stepped away.

"Kuri-kuri, you must not bait him like tha...!" Tetsuya began.

His words were stopped as the Shima heir pressed him up against a flowering plum tree and sank into his mouth hungrily.

Tetsuya resisted at first, his slender hands pushing at the elder man's chest, then slowly relaxing as their kissing deepened and stole his breath. When the Shima leader finally released him, Tetsuya swayed for a moment before recovering himself.

"Kuri-kuri..."

"Come, Tetsu-hana," Kuri said, cutting him off and curling an arm around him, "We must enter quickly before they start without us."

The two show their identification at the Central 46 entry, then were guided down a long hallway to the main gathering chamber. They moved to the front of the gallery and sat down side-by-side in two empty seats. As they watched the councilors slowly file in, Kurushimi slipped a hand into Tetsuya's and held it gently. Tetsuya tried to free it as Byakuya reappeared and sat down next to him, but the Shima leader, tightened his hold. Byakuya sighed and frowned, but remained silent as the last of the councilors arrived and the meeting was called to order.

"Item one," said Grand Councilor Nori Kuchiki, "will be a continuance of the discussion of our decision regarding the fates of Ichigo Shiba and Uryu Ishida. Councilor Ryuu, I believe that you were about to speak when we last adjourned?"

"Yes," said a male councilor, "I was about to ask for a final clarification. My question is this...Is there evidence of what caused Ichigo Shiba to attack the king? All of the testimony we have heard from friends and relatives matches Ichigo's statement that he had no desire to kill the king, and that he was forced when he touched Ywach's weapon, to make the attack."

"I am interested in more than just words," Ryuu insisted, "Is there evidence to back up the statement?"

"Well," said a female councilor, "there is the fact that Ichigo didn't have to go through with killing Ywach, but he carried out his duty to Soul Society. If he had not done so, we would all be dead. You all know that."

"That does not change the fact that it was Ichigo who killed the king!" shouted another male councilor.

Several more voices rose up in approval, making Nori bang his gavel to quiet them.

"This is not going well at all," Kuri said under his breath.

Tetsuya's face paled and Byakuya's expression grew more grim.

"It seems that we are very much divided about whether or not we should overlook Ichigo's action against the king as something he couldn't control, in favor of acknowledging his role in stopping our enemy."

"I am grateful he saved us," a second female councilor asserted, "but what if his next inclination is to harm us again? His behavior being unpredictable like that, how can we be sure it is safe to set him free?"

"Ichigo has passed a general health examination, as well as a mental fitness examination. He appears to have no feelings against Soul Society, except that he is very concerned about the fate of his close friend, Uryu Ishida."

"Ah...Kuri breathed, "This is where it will get ugly."

Byakuya made a soft sound of agreement.

"That is exactly why I think we must rule to keep both of them locked up in Muken," Councilor Ryuu persisted, "While Ichigo may not have thoughts and desires against us now, what will be his reaction upon having his friend incarcerated permanently in Muken for his crimes? Uryu joined Ywach of his own free will."

"Although, Ichigo reported that Ishida was only doing so to get close to the quincy king so that he could kill him. The king was responsible for the deaths of both their mothers."

"Arisu," Ryuu said shortly, "As was established when we discussed the defection of Gin Ichimaru, under much the same circumstances, our society cannot condone the unscrupulous actions of otherwise well meaning allies, if they do not share their plans with someone to establish a line of proof. We can't simply accept Ichigo's word. What if he is still somehow under the control of..."

"Ywach is dead!" Arisu objected, "He can't be controlling Ichigo Shiba!"

"But Uryu Ishida could be," Ryuu argued, "That is why we must rule to keep both Ichigo Shiba and Uryu Ishida incarcerated in Muken permanently."

"But why Muken?" Arisu asked, frowning, "Surely, because of the odd circumstances, we could have them placed in the Maggot's Nest instead."

"They are far too powerful," Councilor Masa weighed in, "The ones in the Maggot's Nest are mostly the less powerful ones. We don't want them to escape."

"The Maggot's Nest was good enough to hold Mayuri Kurotsuchi," remembered Nori.

"These two men are more powerful, though less mentally adept than him," Ryuu said firmly, "I can't stress this enough. I feel that the only safe thing to do is to keep those two locked away, where it won't matter if they are under anyone's control or if they decide they want to harm us all."

Byakuya's heart sank at the sounds of assent that rose up all around the room. He was unsurprised when the subsequent vote affirmed his worst fears.

"It is decided," Nori said solemnly, "Please bring the prisoners in."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Come along Master Shiba," the guard said respectfully, looking apologetic as he directed the ones holding the ends of the leather straps that attached to the collar of the bound Shiba heir's throat, "It is time for your sentencing."

"Great," Ichigo sighed, "I didn't get to say anything to them at all. I guess I know how this is going to go."

He looked up and his breath caught as the door across from him opened and a battered looking Uryu was led into the room.

"Uryu," he said worriedly, "Are you all right? Have they been...?"

Uryu's eyes remained lowered.

"You shouldn't speak to me," he said softly, "You shouldn't look at me. Ichigo, if I am sorry for something, it's that you're being dragged down with me. I tried to tell them that I acted on my own."

"I know," Ichigo answered quietly, "Don't worry about it. I brought this on myself. I knew that what Ywach forced me to do would come back to haunt me, no matter if I did save Soul Society. It's not your fault."

"Don't make excuses for me."

"I'm not."

"Sirs, I am afraid we must go now," the guard interjected solemnly.

"Yeah, okay," Ichigo said, sagging slightly as they led him into the Central 46 meeting chamber with Uryu a few steps behind.

The guards led them to the center of the room and turned them to face the grand councilor. Nori gazed down at them with sympathetic eyes.

"Ichigo Shiba, Uryu Ishida," he said in a low, stern tone, "It is the decision of this court that you have both been identified as continued threats to the safety of Soul Society. As that is the case, we have no choice at this time, but to recommend that you continue to be held in Muken indefinitely."

"That's not right!" Uryu shouted, stepping forward, "Do what you want with me. I did go to Ywach and join him. I know you don't care that it was only to avenge my mother, so lock me up for what I did if you want. But you can't blame Ichigo and lump him in with me! He did what I couldn't! He saved all of you! You would all be dead if he hadn't stopped Ywach!"

"The king is dead because Ichigo Shiba slayed him!" Ryuu shouted back, "Shut up, quincy! You have no right to say anything. Your kind is responsible for thousands of shinigami deaths. You and that other quincy there both deserve your fate!"

"Order!" shouted Nori, "Guards, please return the prisoners to their cells!"

Byakuya stood and turned to look down at Tetsuya.

"I am going to the prison," he told his cousin, "I will meet you back at home."

"You don't want me to wait?" asked Tetsuya.

"No," the Kuchiki leader said firmly, "Go home and wait for me there."

Tetsuya gazed after him worriedly as Byakuya disappeared into the milling crowd.

"Tetsu-hana, I would be honored to accompany you home," Kuri offered.

"Oh...well, I...I wasn't sure I should leave. Byakuya had an odd look about him," Tetsuya observed.

"I am sure that he knows what he is doing," the Shima leader assured him, sliding an arm around him, "Come, we should wait at the manor for him. We do not want to attract attention if he is planning something."

"Planning something?"

"I know that look in his eye," Kuri assured Tetsuya, "He is making plans. If we want to be ready to help him, we should wait at your manor, as he said."

Tetsuya gave the elder man a charming smirk.

"As I recall, my cousin asked _me_ to wait for him at the manor. He said nothing about you being there."

"Well, Ichigo is _my _cousin, so if your cousin is up to something to do with my cousin, we should wait together."

He laid a hand on Tetsuya's arm, but the sapphire-eyed noble gave him a reproving look.

"We will wait in the gardens, not in my room," he said sternly.

Kurushimi gave him a crooked smile.

"Of course, _mi amante_," he chuckled.

"I am _not_ your lover!" Tetsuya hissed softly, "Stop saying that or you'll bring on a scandal!"

"Come, Tetsu-hana, let's get you home."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya passed the last of the guard posts and headed forward in the darkness alone. He walked to the end of the protected area, then stopped and peered into the blackness. He felt a presence even darker than the pitch black ahead of him and his heart fluttered anxiously.

_Byakuya Kuchiki,_ Aizen's deep voice spoke into his mind, using his reiatsu to initiate the contact, despite the bindings on his body, _What brings you to see me?_

Byakuya paused, his heart pounding harder and his breaths short.

_It didn't go well for them either, did it? _the prisoner inquired.

"Ichigo is my friend and an ally," Byakuya said finally, "Just as I felt that the council was wrong in using you and doing nothing to acknowledge your protection of Soul Society, I think they should, at least, have freed Ichigo."

_Well, he did kill the king, himself._

"He also saved Soul Society!" Byakuya exclaimed softly.

_So...why are you here, Byakuya? What difference do you think it makes if I agree Ichigo should have been set free?_

"You no longer have the hogyoku increasing your powers and lifespan. You will die if you remain here...if not from age, then because someone will kill you."

_A very astute observation. So...what are you telling me? Do you want to help me?_

Byakuya stiffened for a moment and closed his eyes, then forced a nod of agreement.

"I will come for you tomorrow. I will free you and you will help me to free Ichigo and the Ishida boy."

_And what will you do for me in return, Byakuya?_ Aizen asked meaningfully.

"I am going to free you!"

_I do not, as you know, have the hogyoku to protect me. I need something to ensure I do not get sent back if we are caught._

"What do you expect me to do?" Byakuya asked urgently, "I can't guarantee anything for any of us!"

_It is true that you can do little for those two if they are recaptured,_ Aizen agreed, _but...me, you can protect._

"How?" Byakuya asked, staring into the depthless blackness.

_By marrying me._


	2. Preparations

**Chapter 2: Preparations**

Ichigo quivered as the heavy restraints snapped into place, and darkness and icy cold closed in around him. And even more unnerving than being bound and left to rot in the blackness of Muken was the knowledge that out in that darkness, not only was Uryu Ishida likewise sealed away, but Sousuke Aizen, too, was present.

_I wonder why he helped us. He didn't have to, and it cost him his immortality to do it. I suppose he could have remade the hogyoku after, if he had been released. That's probably what those councilors figured. It's why they wouldn't let him go. I guess I understand, but it's strange._

_The more I think about it, the more it seemed that Aizen wanted to sacrifice the hogyoku. Neither he nor Kisuke could figure out a way to destroy it. And I wonder if, once he fused with it, he realized that he was giving up too much by doing that. But by then, it was too late._

_But what does it really matter now. Aizen, Uryu and me are all going to die in here...locked away from everything. Still, at least most of the people I care about are safe...Dad, Karin, Yuzu, Rukia, Byakuya, Tetsuya, Renji, Kisuke, Yoruichi...all of my friends in the living world. Knowing that because I fought my hardest, they are going to be all right...yeah, that's some comfort._

But even though he was glad for them, a tear escaped his eye and dribbled onto his face, where it was quickly absorbed by his bindings.

_I want to go home._

_I miss my family and friends._

_I wonder if they'll ever be allowed to come and see me here._

_I don't know if I want them to._

He forced his breathing to slow and focused on relaxing himself.

_It won't do any good to upset myself. It's not going to change what happened before, or what's happening now. Besides, when we were in that council room, I saw something. There was something in Byakuya's eyes that told me he isn't going to just accept things._

_Though, it's weird._

_Byakuya's one who follows the law to the letter. He sometimes subtly acts against it, but it wouldn't be like him to completely defy it. He left that behind a long time ago, when he made that promise to his parents. Then again, he was different after As Nodt almost killed him._

A very soft sound of anguish broke the silence around him, distracting him out of his thoughts.

_Uryu..._

He couldn't call out because of the bindings, but he remembered Byakuya telling him that prisoners in Muken could 'speak' using their reiatsu.

_My reiatsu is pretty feral. I have trouble controlling it, but maybe since I'm under the seal, it'll be easier. I have to try. Uryu sounds reeally miserable._

He breathed more slowly yet, letting his reiatsu curl around his bound form, then working steadily to force out a slender stream of it that he sent snaking away in the direction from which the sound had come.

_Uryu._

He imagined his friend the way he had been before the war.

_He was always kind of a jackass, telling me we were enemies. Yeah, he'd nearly die to protect me, but he'd finish and tell me that the next time, we would be enemies._

_I never once believed him._

_When the quincies attacked Soul Society and Juha Bach went after the king, I thought it couldn't be true that Uryu was one of them. That was tested a hundred times over while we struggled, but something in me wouldn't believe he was my enemy. I don't know why I still believed in him, even when he had attacked us all. But it turned out at the end that he was everything I had believed...everything I loved._

_Uryu..._

He felt a heavy inward jolt as his quincy friend's voice sounded loudly in his mind.

_Would you stop that, you idiot? _he complained, _Or at least, don't let your mind be open like that when you're letting your mind run off on tangents._

Ichigo felt tears threaten again.

_Uryu!_

His heart ached at the long silence.

_You sounded like something hurt, _he observed, _Did...something happen?_

He had a sudden flash image of a group of guards positioned around Uryu, who had been bared to the waist, exposing the pale, vulnerable skin of his back. In turns, they struck him, as he bowed his head forward and gritted his teeth.

Abruptly, the vision faded, leaving Ichigo with an icy feeling of dread inside.

_Uryu?!_

The quincy youth was quiet for a long moment.

_I have blut vene, you know, _he reminded Ichigo.

Ichigo scowled under his bonds.

_Do you think I'm stupid? _he inquired in an annoyed tone, _I have that power too, and I know that it only works when you can absorb reiatsu from around you to support the flow in your veins. Don't fuck with me, Uryu. They hurt you!_

He could almost see his friend frown back at him defiantly.

_And why do you care? _he asked, _I hurt you and the others. I helped Ywach to..._

He paused as Ichigo's voice broke in.

_He killed our mothers. You were trying to destroy him. You helped me to kill him. You weren't ever our enemy._

Uryu drew in a shuddering breath.

_But I was. I attacked all of you._

Tears filled his eyes at Ichigo's answer.

_And I felt what was in your heart when I caught your arrow in my hand and broke it!_

_Ichigo...!_

The quincy youth's chest heaved with misery under his bonds.

_Why can't you stop! _he pleaded, _Why can't you hate me?_

Ichigo's voice rang inside his head as he dissolved into tears beneath his bindings.

_Because I care about you, Uryu...because...even after what you did, I still love you._

XXXXXXXXXX

Tetsuya looked up as a hell butterfly flitted into the dressing area, where he awaited his attendant. Byakuya's voice issued from the insect and the young noble tilted his head slightly as he listened.

_Some things have arisen at the sixth division. I will have to remain here for the next several hours. I will see you for dinner later._

"Hmmm..."

Tetsuya's mind meandered back to Byakuya's odd behavior at the Central 46 headquarters and he sighed softly and closed his eyes. As he did, a pair of male hands began to undress him. He opened his eyes, beginning to greet his attendant, then inhaled sharply at finding the Shima clan leader standing behind him.

"Kuri-kuri," he objected, blushing fiercely, "P-please, you must not!"

"Shh, it is all right, my Tetsu-hana. No one will walk in on us. Your attendant...has other things to see to right now, so I will attend you."

Tetsuya's blush deepened, but his lips smiled as Kuri stole a kiss over his shoulder and continued to undress him.

"_Eres hermoso_, (You are beautiful) he breathed into the young man's ear, paralyzing him as the Shima leader's hand finished baring him and began to slide very slowly over the soft expanses of his flesh, " _Eres más hermoso que la luna y todas las estrellas. Por favor, mi amante, déjame mostrarte lo mucho que te amo._ (You are more beautiful than the moon and all of the stars. Please, my lover, let me show you how much I love you.)

"Kuri-kuri, you know that I am not a suitable match for a clan leader," Tetsuya said regretfully, "I love you too, but I will not bring dishonor to your clan."

Kuri let out an amused breath and laughed softly.

"What are you talking about? Dishonor? What dishonor is that? Mamà and Deripie adore you. They would likely kill me if I dishonored you by _not_ capturing you."

"I was speaking about the Noble's General Council," Tetsuya said sternly, "Yours is one of the great clans, so you are expected to..."

Another deep, penetrating kiss stopped Tetsuya's words as Kuri dove into his mouth again, running his hands over the young man's naked torso, teasing his flushed, erect nipples, then sliding down to address his hungry nether region.

"_Te quiero, my lovely Tetsu-hana. Solo te quiero a ti."_ (I want you, my lovely Tetsuya. I want only you.)

"I want you too!" Tetsuya confessed, his head spinning and his voice soft and feverish, "But we mustn't! You are to have a wife chosen for you."

"They can offer who they will, but I will have only you, my Tetsu-hana!" Kuri insisted, caressing him until he was dazed and panting, "Come now, we have waited long enough, looking into each other's eyes and longing. Surrender your body to me now. We have had each others' hearts for some time now. _Acostarme conmigo y te voy a dar todo._" (Sleep with me and I will give you everything.)

Tetsuya gave a surprised inhale as he was swept off his feet and carried back to his bed. The Shima clan leader laid him on his back, then stood beside the bed, very slowly removing his clothes. Tetsuya watched raptly as Kuri's violet eyes ensnared his sapphire ones, and the Shima leader bared himself, bit by bit, until he was completely naked. He climbed onto the bed and knelt at Tetsuya's side, caressing him gently with one hand, and sliding another down to prepare him.

"I shouldn't let you do this," Tetsuya breathed shakily, his member reacting almost painfully to the other man's touch, "but I cannot resist you. Just...we must be careful."

Tetsuya's hand reached over and opened his nightstand drawer, then removed a small charm on a silver chain that he hung around his neck.

"If we make love without this, it could awaken my breeder ability."

Kuri smiled in amusement.

"Tetsu-hana," he said with mock sternness, "I thought that you told me that there had been no one who made love to you since your dear love, Naoki, just before his death. What happened to that? Did Ren ren-nii steal your love while I was yet only dreaming of this?"

"No," Tetsuya said, blushing, "Renji and I dated and we kissed a few times, but I think he was just too afraid that Byakuya would kill him if we ever made love. He's barely even come to see me lately."

"A mistake he will come to regret very deeply," Kuri purred into the younger man's ear, "But...you still haven't explained the protection charm, Tetsu-hana."

"Oh," Tetsuya said, his flush intensifying, "well...after Byakuya caught you cornering me in the gardens, he took me aside and spoke to me about our..._attraction._"

"Is that so?" the Shima leader chuckled, smirking, "And he gave you this? Byakurai?"

"He said that I must promise to tell you that if I use this and you leave me, he is going to make it his life's mission to see to it that you never descend another flight of stairs without falling," Tetsuya giggled.

"Did he really?" Kuri laughed, reaching down to part Tetsuya's creamy thighs, then positioning himself between them, "Well, it may be that no pushing will be required for me to fall indefinitely, my love. _Estoy siempre cayendo para ti._" (I am forever falling for you.)

Tetsuya turned his head aside, flinching anxiously as the Shima leader began his entry. But Kuri's warm hand coaxed the younger man's eyes back to his.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you...not ever, Tetsu-hana."

"B-but I saw you are...bigger than Naoki or Orochi were," Tetsuya confessed breathlessly, "And I haven't been with anyone in a very long time."

"Ah, it is like being virginal again for both of us who have lost our lovers, then, isn't it?"

Tetsuya's lips moved, but no words sounded. Kuri's fingers touched his pale face lightly and the Shima leader's smile left him feeling safe and relaxed once more.

"Trust me, Tetsu-hana," Kuri whispered into his ear as he slowly made their bodies one, "I will never hurt you. I will never leave you. I will forever love you. I swear it upon my heart."

Tetsuya's lips parted and breathy sounds of pleasure escaped into the cool afternoon air around them. The Shima heir's powerful hips moved rhythmically and Tetsuya moved with him, lost in Kuri's handsome violet eyes and entangling his fingers in the long ends of his unbound hair. The elder man's head dipped and he fed on the sweet, soft flesh of his lover's white throat, then he brought his lips to Tetsuya's flushed earlobe as the younger man neared climax.

"_Eres mía ahora. Cásate conmigo._" (You are mine now. Marry me..)

Tetsuya gasped as the meaning of the words struck him just as Kuri's movements sent him tumbling headlong into release. He moaned loudly and thrashed beneath the Shima leader as intense heat exploded all through his body and his mind spun with the beauty of that sweetly enchanted moment. There were tears in his eyes as Kuri collapsed onto his chest, kissing him more lazily and sighing in deep contentment.

"I don't hear your answer, Tetsu-hana," Kuri teased him gently, "I will assume you are still too breathless."

Tetsuya started to laugh, then his eyes widened in dismay as he spotted the broken protection charm lying on the bed beside them.

"Oh no!" he gasped, going sheet white.

Kuri smiled wickedly.

"_Oh yes_!" he hissed elatedly, "Now, you can never leave me!"

"B-byakuya's going to kill you!" Tetsuya snapped, trying to sit up, only to be brought down and kissed into submission again.

"Then, you will come and bring our child to visit my grave, won't you?" Kuri joked.

"Don't _say_ things like that!" Tetsuya said, swatting at him, "That's horrible, Kuri-kuri!"

"I know," the Shima leader purred unrepentantly, "I am an awful man. However did I get so lucky as to impregnate so fine a beauty as you, Tetsu-hana? I must thank your cousin for that defective charm."

"Don't you dare!" Tetsuya exclaimed, sitting up, "And don't try to convince me that the charm just broke! Kuri-kuri, you...!"

"Shh, it will be all right," Kuri promised softly, "Byakuya is an intelligent man. Whatever he thinks of me, he knows how much I love you. It will be fine."

"I know," Tetsuya said quietly, looking down at his slim belly, "I just don't know why you want me so badly. Most nobles don't even see me."

"I see you, Tetsu-hana," Kuri whispered, laying him back and teasing his thighs apart again, "I see you, and what I see of you, I love passionately."

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya stared blankly at the hell butterfly in front of him, trying to think of what message to leave for Renji, but no words presented themselves and his mind kept returning to the darkness of Muken and Aizen's words that had left him chilled inside.

_"I want you to marry me."_

_Byakuya stared at the bound man wordlessly._

_"You look surprised, Aizen chided him, You shouldn't be. You know why I expect this."_

_"If you marry me legally," Byakuya said numbly, "then you become a ward of my clan. As there is precedent based upon your actions in the war to commute your sentence, I can demand that you be remanded into my custody."_

_"But that is not all, is it?" Aizen hissed softly._

_Byakuya's eyes widened._

_"Yes, I know about the breeder ability that you have in common with your cousin, Tetsuya. I know also that if we produce a viable heir, it strengthens the protections around us."_

_Byakuya gazed at him raptly, lost for words._

_"Come now, you aren't really so surprised, are you? It's only what I need to protect myself, and in exchange, you will be able to pay the great debt you owe to Ichigo, ne?"_

_"You? How did you...?"_

_"I will be ready when you arrive tomorrow," Aizen said sedately, "Be sure that you do not tip your hand, Byakuya. If anyone suspects a thing, this will be over before we are three steps out the door. You wouldn't want that, now, would you?"_

_Byakuya remained silent and backed slowly away, the ice inside him spreading through his entire body. He tried to imagine, not just marrying the traitor, but lying down and letting Aizen touch him sexually. The thought made his insides lurch._

_"You look unwell," Aizen commented._

_"I am not a homosexual," he managed thickly, "I am in fact, virginal."_

_"A formerly married man virginal?" Aizen mused, "But then, your wife was ill already when you married."_

_"Yes."_

_"Then, you are a blank slate. That makes you quite a prize. I shall remember this when we are together tomorrow after our escape."_

_Byakuya's insides quivered warningly and he closed his eyes against the rising emotion._

_"I don't know if I can do this," he whispered, half to himself and half to the man in front of him._

_"Of course you can," Aizen assured him calmly, "You will do this because it is the right thing to free those of us who have been imprisoned unfairly. But...I am curious. Will you be releasing the quincy, Uryu, as well?"_

_"He is Ichigo's friend."_

_"Oh, I would think he's more than a friend if you are risking charges of treason, yourself, to free him on Ichigo's behalf. Interesting. Byakuya, I'm impressed. You are a much more complex person than I gave you credit for being. I very much look forward to exploring you more closely."_

"Captain, are you all right?" Renji's voice asked, jarring him out of his reverie.

Byakuya startled, then swallowed hard and quickly reined himself in.

"What are you doing here?" he asked his subordinate, "I sent you home."

"Oh," the redhead said sheepishly, "I forgot my keys again. Had to come back for them."

"I see."

"You looked pretty uncomfortable. Are you feeling sick? Maybe you should take tomorrow off," Renji suggested.

Byakuya paused, then nodded briefly in assent.

"Yes, I think I will do that. I am sure that you can handle whatever comes your way. You have grown into a fine vice captain."

"Thanks," Renji said, smiling, "Have a good rest, Captain."

"Arigato, Renji," Byakuya replied gratefully, "I will."


	3. The Escape

**Chapter 3: The Escape**

"Kuri-kuri?" Tetsuya whispered, his eyes still closed and his breathing slow and relaxed as the elder man's hands caressed the soft skin of his inner thighs and his fingers played in the dampness left behind from their lovemaking, "Will you tell me something honestly? Did you break that protection charm?"

The Shima leader paused, his turquoise eyes thoughtful as they looked into Tetsuya's.

"Why are you asking me this, _mi amante_? Do you really think I would do that?" he asked, nuzzling his lover's still flushed cheek.

"Well," Tetsuya answered, thinking carefully, "when I discovered it was broken, you weren't concerned at all and you didn't even act surprised. In fact, you seemed overjoyed."

Kuri closed his eyes and buried his nose in Tetsuya's sweetly scented hair.

"Can you blame me for being happy at the thought you would finally stop worrying and marry me? How long have you looked at me with love behind your eyes, yet held me at an arms length?"

Tetsuya thought more deeply.

_He's right about that. I have loved this man for a while now. But even though I've known it was love, I've resisted it._

_Why?_

_Why would I be afraid of loving him?_

_He is not like Naoki and I were. We were caged and purposely made weak so that we would not be able to fight what was done to us. It was that weakness that held us back, that caused Naoki to die when he protected me, and that caused me to lose our baby._

_But Kuri-kuri is a strong man, and haven't I also become strong?_

_And Kuri-kuri has lost someone too. Why is he able to look at me and...?_

"Maybe you are right," Tetsuya confessed, lacing his fingers together with Kuri's and earning a warm smile in reply, "I suppose it is hard not to be afraid of falling in love again after losing my first husband and our child. But...you've suffered the same loss and yet you reach out to me and make it look so easy to fall in love again. It isn't really so easy for you, is it, Kuri-kuri?"

"With love, there is always risk, Tetsu-hana," Kuri sighed, "But you know that already. And this is why, although you have feared falling in love, you have risked your heart to love Byakuya and your adoptive family. It is the final step to surrender to this kind of love again."

"But aren't you afraid of what could happen?" Tetsuya pleaded.

Kuri leaned close and kissed the shell of a blushing ear.

"I am terrified sometimes," he whispered, "but...to hold you in my arms and make love to you like this, I fear nothing, Tetsu-hana. I know if anything threatens, I will die before I allow it to claim you."

"I feel the same," Tetsuya explained, "but didn't we feel that way before, with the ones we loved? And even though we would have done anything, weren't we helpless to stop them from dying?"

"That is true," Kuri agreed, "but is the answer to never love anyone again? And even if I never speak my love to you, is that a better protection than giving all of myself to protect you? Which way will make us happier? Which way brings more comfort if we do someday lose each other, Tetsu-hana? For me, I would rather you know my heart and feel the fullness of my love, even if you have to leave me. Knowing that you knew of my feelings for you and that you returned them would be a comfort, while never having given my heart to you and not knowing if you loved me in return would make me even lonelier if you were gone. Do you understand?"

"I do," Tetsuya answered, warming Kuri's lips with a passionate kiss, "I am just not as brave as you, I suppose."

Kuri chuckled.

"That is not bravery, Tetsu-hana...it is fine sake and good old-fashioned tequila talking."

Tetsuya sighed.

"It's too bad then that I am drunk after a mere few swallows."

"And if we made a child today, you will not be able to drink alcohol anyway," Kuri giggled, nuzzling beneath his chin, "Poor thing. I suppose that unlike me, you really will have to be brave, ne?"

"It looks that way," Tetsuya agreed, curling more deeply into his lover's arms, "Hmm, and I still think you had something to do with that charm breaking."

"I didn't break the charm, I promise you," Kuri laughed softly, tickling Tetsuya's cheek, "but I have a suspicion that the charm was compromised before it was given to you, and I don't have to think too hard to figure out by whom."

"What?" Tetsuya said, frowning and sitting up in the bed, "You think the charm was purposely tampered with? By whom, if not you?"

Kuri sighed and sat up next to Tetsuya, slipping an arm around him and kissing him on the side of the neck.

"Byakurai."

Tetsuya blinked and gave him a cutely confused look.

"M-my cousin? But, Byakuya-sama…"

Kuri's smile froze his objection instantly and the Shima leader took Tetsuya's hands in his and kissed them.

"Byakurai knows how much I will protect you and our baby. He knows if you have my child, I will fight to the death to keep you safe, Tetsu-hana, and I will never, ever leave you. He may not like me so much for my bad habits, but he knows what is best for you."

Tetsuya's expression softened and he let himself be laid down on the bed again. Kuri started to say more, then he stopped as he felt Tetsuya suddenly stiffen.

"What is it?" Kuri asked.

"Byakuya is returning," Tetsuya answered, escaping Kuri's arms and coming to his feet, "We should get dressed."

"Ah yes, it wouldn't be polite to meet him in our nightclothes in the middle of the day, would it?"

Tetsuya ignored him and flash stepped into the dressing area as Kuri retrieved his clothes and dressed. The two exited Tetsuya's room and found Byakuya waiting for them in the gardens.

"S-sorry to keep you waiting, Cousin," Tetsuya said, blushing.

"It's fine," Byakuya said shortly, "There are more important things for us to discuss. Tetsuya, I will need to have you use your waterforms to get us inside the prison."

He glanced at Kurushimi.

"And if you are not going with us, then you should go. I don't want anyone left here knowing about these plans. It would be too dangerous."

Kuri shook his head.

"I am not leaving Tetsu-hana's side. Where he goes, I go," he said firmly.

"I see," Byakuya said, turning his eyes onto Tetsuya, who swallowed hard and flushed more intensely, "and this is what you want as well, Tetsuya?"

"Yes," Tetsuya answered, his voice shaking very slightly.

"Very well, but once we leave here, we will not be returning for a long time...perhaps not at all. And we must bring nothing with us. There must be no sign that we have gone."

"But how are we going to manage that with just my waterforms?" Tetsuya asked, "Even if they can be used to fool people, when we have been gone a few days, they will fail and break apart."

"And because they shed water when they break, you would be implicated," Byakuya concluded, "Therefore, we will only be using your waterforms for our entry into Muken. We will leave and hide our passage using another means."

"What means is that?" Kuri asked.

"I will keep that to myself for now. Come."

"What about Arashi?" Tetsuya asked.

"He is already positioned outside the compound and managing surveillance. He will be coming with us."

Byakuya drew his sword and opened a family senkaimon. The three entered the precipice world and headed away from Kuchiki Manor.

"As you both know, Central 46 is surrounded by water and has only one entrance, which is carefully controlled. There is no way in besides that entry...for most people."

Kuri gave him a knowing smirk.

"You mean to use Tetsu-hana's power?"

"Yes," Byakuya confirmed, "Tetsuya will use his waterforms to hide our passage. We will slip into the water and he will adjust the forms so that we can pass through the pipes under the water that pump water into the fountain in the main lobby. We must be cautious in that the reception area has a guard after hours, and we will be passing guard posts on the way, so we must be careful not to be seen. The main danger in using your waterforms will be light, which could make us visible. But the lights are turned onto a lower setting at night, so we should be able to hide in the shadows."

"What about passing through the doors and levels of the prison?" asked Kuri.

"Tetsuya can make water pass through very small openings and thus can move the waterforms through the checkpoints and doors. We will need to steal several keys, but I will see to that. Once we are in Muken, I will employ other means to hide our passage and to get us out."

"You don't look eager to share those means," Kuri noted.

"If this mission fails, I want you both to use Tetsuya's escape forms and let me be the one captured."

"The mission won't fail," Tetsuya promised, exchanging wary glances with Kurushimi, "we won't let it."

"Not with Ichibun's life on the line," Kuri agreed, "My cousin deserves a better fate than spending the rest of his life locked up and sealed away. I do not approve so much of that quincy boy he is in love with, but..."

He paused and met Tetsuya's eyes for a moment.

"Who is knowing why the heart chooses as it does?" he finished.

The three went quiet as they reached the exit point near the prison and moved out into a small wooded grove. They waited in the trees until darkness arrived, then cloaked themselves in Tetsuya's waterforms and descended a small hill to the edge of the water. As they dipped beneath the water's surface, they felt Tetsuya's power which allowed them to continue to breathe normally. Byakuya moved ahead of the other two and guided them to the pipes at the bottom of the moat and Tetsuya altered the waterforms to allow them entrance.

The three felt an odd sense of being stretched thin as they rushed through the intake. They were expelled a few minutes later into the fountain in the reception area of the compound. Kuri blinked in surprise as they emerged from the water, still cloaked in waterforms, yet not wet at all from the passage through the water. They remained in the shadows as they slipped past the guard at the front desk and began their invasion in earnest.

They paused, short of the entry into the prison levels and Byakuya left them waiting while he sought the necessary keys.

"That was impressive, how you made us come out of the water dry, Tetsu-hana," Kuri said approvingly, "It did feel very strange going through the pipes though."

"You should get used to it," Tetsuya warned him, "We will have to use a similar method on some of the doors."

"Ah..."

Byakuya returned a short time later and led the two to the first guarded door. Careful to make no sound, they remained in the shadows and Tetsuya sent a small blob of water rolling along the floor. It crept silently along, unseen by the guard as it searched and found a small crack to slide through to the other side of the door. Tetsuya laid his hands on the other two men and focused on the bead of water. The three felt a sudden dizziness and everything around them went dark as they were transported to the location of the waterblob and re-formed instantly.

"Oh...that was...brilliant," Kuri mused, "but disturbing."

"Come on," Byakuya urged him, leading the other two men down the corridor.

They passed through each level the same way, and reached the last entry, where Byakuya stopped them.

"We must use another method on this last entry," he breathed softly, "There are no openings in this doorway, so it requires a key, and I will employ a use of my power to hide what we are doing."

Tetsuya and Kurushimi observed with widened eyes as Byakuya extended a hand and a scattering of strange, mirrored petals emerged. They sailed smoothly away and some positioned themselves in front of the cameras trained on the area, reflecting an image of the guard standing quietly by the closed door, while a second scattering surrounded the guard, reflecting at him the scene of the empty, silent corridor. Still in their waterforms, they moved to the door and Byakuya used a key to open it. The group passed through and into Muken together.

Byakuya led them into the darkness, then stopped them.

"It is necessary for you to learn now how we will cloak the rest of our passage," Byakuya informed them, "Once we start freeing prisoners, waterforms will not be enough to replace them. We will be using instead, powerful hypnotic illusions..."

Tetsuya's eyes widened and Kuri stared in surprise.

"The two of you know that Aizen Sousuke did assist us in ending the threat of Ywach. And for this, he was forced to sacrifice the hogyoku, which caused him to lose his immortality. You are aware that despite this, Central 46 refused to release him under any circumstances. What you may not know is that I stopped an attempt on his life and am helping to thwart another by freeing him to assist us."

"What?" Tetsuya managed breathlessly.

"_Dios mìo_!" Kuri exclaimed softly, "_El diablo, el propio_!" (My god! The devil, himself!)

"There are also plots to kill Ichigo and Uryu," Byakuya revealed, "And I could find no other means besides Aizen's illusions to safely get us all out and give us time to make a clean escape. Once we leave, we cannot return. Once we leave, we are in exile. As soon as the illusions fail, we will be hunted. All of this, I must do to honor the debt I owe Ichigo. Are you sure that you are ready to make such a sacrifice? This is the last point at which you may change your minds."

Tetsuya and Kurushimi exchanged glances.

"We're going with you," Tetsuya said firmly.

They followed Byakuya to the place where Aizen was sealed and watched in horrified silence as he employed each stolen key until the prisoner tore free and moved towards them. Aizen smiled devilishly as he reached them and gazed approvingly into Byakuya's wary eyes.

"You prove to be a man of your word," he said, shocking the other two men as he leaned down slightly to place a kiss on Byakuya's lips, "Thank you."

"Byakuya, you...?"

"I will explain later," the Kuchiki leader said shortly, "Sousuke Aizen, you must take over our camouflage, using your powers. We will need illusion forms to take your place as well as Ichigo's and Uryu's."

Aizen nodded and turned back to set the illusion in his place. Byakuya set the sealing keys back into the locked position and removed them, then led the group to where Ichigo sat, bound, in the blackness.

"Who's there?" the Shiba heir asked softly.

"It's me," Byakuya offered, reaching down and releasing his bindings, "We've come to get you out of here."

There were tears of gratitude in Ichigo's eyes as he broke free and stood.

"Th-thank you, Byakuya!" he whispered, embracing the surprised noble, "I thought I was going to be in here forever."

He went silent, staring for a moment as he spotted Aizen.

"He is helping us to escape cleanly," Byakuya explained.

Ichigo nodded warily, and his eyes moved on to Tetsuya and Kurushimi.

"I should have expected you would be involved," he chuckled, recovering his composure and embracing Kuri warmly, "Thanks!"

"_No es nada_, Ichibun," his cousin assured him. (It is nothing)

Ichigo went quiet again and looked at Byakuya questioningly.

"We will be bringing your quincy friend as well," the Kuchiki heir assured him, "Come."

Aizen left an illusion where Ichigo had been and Byakuya led the group on to where Uryu was bound.

"Who are you? What are you doing?" the quincy demanded.

"It's okay," Ichigo said, stunning him with a friendly smile as his blindfold was removed, "You know I wouldn't let you stay in a place like this."

Uryu stared at him and the others with a dumbstruck look as Aizen left an illusion in his place.

"We need to leave quickly," Byakuya said sternly.

He led them back the way the rescuers had come, with Aizen's illusions cloaking them, and carefully erasing all signs of their passage. They emerged at the edge of the moat and Byakuya opened a family senkaimon and led them into the darkness.

"Where are we going?" Ichigo asked.

"To a place I have never been, but was able to acquire a piece of property secretly," Byakuya informed him, "We are going to Hawaii in the living world."

"What a lovely place," Aizen mused, slipping an affectionate arm around the Kuchiki heir, "_for us to be married_."


	4. I Take Thee

**Chapter 4: I Take Thee...**

"Whoa!" Ichigo exclaimed as Byakuya opened the front door to the lovely Hawaiian estate home and the six men stepped inside.

For a few moments, none of them spoke, their eyes busied with studying the open design of the main floor and the floor to ceiling windows that faced the private beach just below the cliff that the home was set upon.

"The bedrooms are upstairs," Byakuya told them, "and the common areas are down here. There is a lower level that has an inner stairway leading down to the water. You can also access the beach walking down the steps outside the house. There are kido barriers to protect us and to warn of approaching Gotei forces. The nearby town will be a good place to find what food and supplies we need. And we have no close neighbors on either side."

"Which gives us plenty of privacy," Aizen said approvingly, slipping an arm around Byakuya and nuzzling his cheek gently.

Kurushimi noted the sudden tension in Tetsuya's face and body and laid a hand on his lovely boyfriend's arm.

"I don't like him either," he commented, "but it seems that Byakurai has made a deal with him and we must, for the time being, respect that."

"What kind of deal is that?" Tetsuya snapped softly, "We cannot trust that man."

"But...he did aid the Gotei in the war...and you will remember that Central 46 then rewarded him by refusing to grant him his freedom."

"They were worried about what he would do if freed, and rightfully so!" Tetsuya insisted.

"But he does not have the hogyoku any longer," Kuri reminded him.

"He can make another!" Tetsuya fumed, "And have you asked yourself how he might use my cousin to further his plans, now that the war is over and Soul Society is occupied with picking up the pieces?"

"It has crossed my mind," Kuri admitted, "but I think if you and I want to be present and within reach to protect Byakurai, then we must not interfere with the choices he is making regarding that man."

"Ugh, you're right!" Tetsuya sighed unhappily, "To go against Aizen now would only alienate me from Byakuya when he most needs me."

"So it seems we must be watchful and wait," Kuri concluded.

"Yes," Tetsuya reluctantly agreed, "It looks that way."

"Tetsuya," Byakuya said quietly, bringing his blue-eyed cousin to his side.

"Yes, Byakuya?"

"Sousuke and I will require witnesses to our nuptials. I have made an appointment with someone to perform the service. We will need to leave in a few minutes."

"But we only just arrived!" Tetsuya objected, "He can't wait an hour or two to let us settle in? It must be right now?"

"I have found that if I want to be sure that I will not be deceived, I must not allow delays in things promised to me," Aizen said calmly, "It is a mistake I made with the Gotei 13, and it will not be repeated."

"It wasn't the Gotei 13 that sent you back to Muken," Tetsuya reminded him.

"No," Aizen agreed, "it was Central 46, which is run by a group of mostly noble councilors who constantly prove their greed and lack of concern for anything but what directly benefits them. And your lovely cousin is the head of the greatest of the clans, Tetsuya. I must be very careful when making deals with him, you see?"

"You are a fine one to talk of breaking bargains and deception!" Tetsuya shouted, "You stabbed everyone in the back when you betrayed us all and there is nothing to keep you from doing it again!"

"Tetsuya, stop," Byakuya said sternly.

"It's all right," Aizen said, smirking, "Tetsuya is wise to harbor doubts about me. I won't hold that against him."

"Nevertheless, we do not need more adversity, Sousuke. Do not bait my cousin. You said we should go. Let us be on our way."

Tetsuya and Kuri started to follow the two outside, but Byakuya paused and turned back to face his cousin.

"Tetsuya, perhaps you should allow Ichigo to witness the marriage with Kuri."

Tetsuya's blue eyes widened in distress.

"No!" he exclaimed, shaking his head, "Byakuya, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to overstep boundaries. You know all that I care about is keeping you safe and happy. I can't miss your wedding!"

Byakuya gave him a sad smile and touched his face gently.

"This is going to be hard for both of us, watashi no itoko. I understand you are looking out for me, but there are some places you should not have to suffer with me."

"Don't say that!" Tetsuya whispered, tears flooding his eyes, "It doesn't matter, Byakuya. I want to be with you through everything. You were there through the darkest days of my life. Your love saw me through every one. If you have to give yourself to this man, I will accept it. Just...please, don't distance yourself from me!"

"I think he is trying to spare your feelings, Tetsuya," Aizen said quietly, "Maybe it would be wiser for you to stay here."

"Is that what you want, Byakuya?" Tetsuya asked, a tear leaking onto his face, "If you order it, I will obey you. But..."

Byakuya looked back at him with a troubled expression, then sighed softly.

"Come if you wish, but...you must promise not to do anything to make this more difficult."

Tetsuya said nothing in answer, but gave him a shaky nod of agreement. Kuri slipped a bracing arm around him and the two followed Aizen and Byakuya out of the house. Ichigo watched the door close behind them and exchanged unhappy glances with Uryu.

"This is awful," Uryu whispered, "I'm not fond of shinigamis, except for Rukia and Renji, but Byakuya doesn't deserve to have to marry Sousuke Aizen. No one should have to do that...especially not for me."

Ichigo sighed and leaned against his shoulder, managing a sad smile.

"Yeah, well, don't feel too bad. I think he was really just saving you because he knew I wasn't gonna leave Muken without you."

"I don't know why," Uryu complained, shaking his head and looking down at the floor, "Ichigo, I was your enemy in the war. I hurt people you care about. I was in so deep that if I'd had the bad luck to have faced Byakuya, Rukia or Renji as an opponent, I would have had to kill them! There was...nothing I could do. I had no idea Ywach was capable of putting me in that position. I just wanted..."

"You wanted the same thing I did," Ichigo said, reaching down to squeeze his shaking hand, "That guy killed our moms. He messed up our families."

"And for part of the war, I helped him. I held you back from stopping him, not once, but three times, Ichigo."

"We talked about that," Ichigo insisted, "You shot at me those times and fought me to keep me from getting killed. You only joined him, in the first place, to get close to him so that you could kill him for taking your mom away from you. If I'd known it was him before? If I'd known both our moms died because of him? I would have been with you and..."

"Yeah," Uryu said sadly, "and we both would have been under Ywach's thumb. I didn't want you anywhere near him. That's why I didn't tell you what I knew. It's why I fired at you to keep you from attacking us while we were ascending through the 72 barriers. It's why I shot at you again when you tried to protect the king. And it's why I had to fight you in the end."

"Hey, I know that," Ichigo reminded him, "and you have to let it go now. The war is over, we're not locked up anymore. Maybe we can't go home, but we're safe here. We have Byakuya, Tetsuya and Kuri looking out for us."

"And Aizen along for the ride," Uryu said, scowling, "What was Byakuya thinking?"

"I think he didn't have many choices," Ichigo offered, "If he did, do you think he'd be marrying Aizen? Aizen tried to kill Rukia. It's because of Aizen that Gin almost killed Byakuya _while trying to kill Rukia_! Byakuya wouldn't be doing this, except that he feels like he owes me for protecting Soul Society in the war."

"He's going pretty far, rescuing and protecting a person who's partly responsible for the thousands of shinigamis who died in the war."

"Shut up," Ichigo said, off-handedly, "You didn't order the sternritters to attack Soul Society. You know there wasn't anything you could have done. If you hadn't gone to Ywach, he would have had you brought forcibly. You told me he said that to you."

"Yeah, he did."

"See," Ichigo said bracingly, "What we did or didn't do before, what choices we made then, none of it matters now. We just have to pick up the pieces and go on."

"How do we do that, Ichigo?" Uryu wondered miserably, "How do we forget something like that and just...go on."

Ichigo shrugged and shook his head.

"Just put one foot in front of the other, I guess," he concluded.

"What does that mean?" Uryu asked, looking confused.

"Well," Ichigo said, turning his head so that their faces were close together, "the way things have turned out so far, it looks like you and I aren't going to have much of anyone but each other. I mean, we have Byakuya, Kuri and Tetsuya protecting us, but we won't be able to live any kind of normal life."

Uryu shivered at the words, then went still as Ichigo's arm curled around him.

"I guess you're right," he whispered, closing his eyes, "It's better than being locked up in Muken, but you're right, Ichigo. We do have pretty much just each other now."

"Is that a bad thing?" Ichigo asked, giving him an unusually shy smile.

"Huh...maybe not for me," Uryu said sadly, I just had my father, and you know how he felt about me."

He paused for a moment, his eyes growing tormented.

"He was right to hate me. I don't blame him at all."

"Hey," Ichigo said, closing the distance between them, "don't say things like that. You know your dad didn't hate you. He might not have liked that you took pride in being a quincy..."

"He was right to look down on me for that!" Uryu cried, trying to pull away.

"Stop it!" Ichigo snapped, yanking him close again and glaring into his eyes.

"You stop!" Uryu shouted back, "Have you forgotten what happened? The king of the quincies proved my dad was right to want to forget he was born a quincy! He didn't just try to end the shinigamis, he happily sacrificed his own people just to gain power. I followed a man that was worse than Aizen!"

"Calm down," Ichigo said soothingly, placing his hands on his distraught friend's shoulders, "You weren't following him. You wanted to kill him. You just got drawn in by him and used like he used the rest of us. We all needed something too. He teased everyone with what they needed so badly, then sacrificed them to grab power for himself. That doesn't make you evil, Uryu. It makes you like everyone else he hurt...the shinigamis, their king, his own soldiers and me. Stop acting like you were actually in control. You know you couldn't do anything once he had you."

Uryu's eyes blazed and he stiffened rebelliously, but a moment later, he felt his knees weaken as Ichigo grabbed him and kissed him hard on the mouth.

"Ungh, wh-what are you doing? S-stop that!" Uryu gasped, "Are you crazy?"

"I'm not crazy," Ichigo said solemnly, stepping back and watching as Uryu panted softly for a moment, then straightened, "Uryu, you know I feel about you. And before the war, it was pretty damned clear I wasn't alone in feeling that way."

"Well, the war changed things," Uryu said sullenly, "It changed everything."

Ichigo moved forward again, embracing his stubborn friend more gently.

"It didn't change the fact that I'm in love with you. And don't lie and say you don't love me. I know, whatever you say, that you do."

Uryu lowered his eyes again and his shoulders sagged.

"What does it matter? What good is it if we're going to be fugitives forever?"

Ichigo kissed him again and smiled encouragingly.

"I don't believe we'll be fugitives forever," he said firmly, "We'll get out of this and go home...someday. In the meantime, we'll take care of each other."

"We'll have to watch out for Aizen," Uryu sighed unhappily, "You can bet he's got plans we don't even want to know about. How the heck did we get stuck with him?"

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said warmly, "Come on. It's getting late. Let's go to our room and get some rest."

"Um...Ichigo," Uryu said anxiously, "Did you say..._our room_?"

Ichigo grinned back at him.

Didn't you hear when Byakuya said there were three suites?" he chuckled, "Aizen and Byakuya have the one on the far end and Kuri and Tetsuya have the one in the middle. The one on this end at the top of the stairs is yours and mine."

"Uh..." Uryu managed, blushing furiously.

"Come on," Ichigo said, taking him by the hand, "Let's get settled in."

"B-but Ichigo...!"

"Would you just come on?" Ichigo laughed, dragging him up the stairs.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sousuke Aizen waited as their limousine driver climbed out of the car and opened the door. He exited, then waited as Byakuya, Kuri and Tetsuya moved to join him. Byakuya spoke to the driver for a moment, then the man returned to the car and left the four standing outside the house. Byakuya turned back, but paused as he reached Kuri.

"Kurushimi," he said quietly, "will you take Tetsuya inside? I wish to speak to my husband privately."

He touched the Shima leader's arm and breathed a few whispered words as he passed.

"Take care of him. The consummation will cause him too much distress."

Kuri gave a barely perceptible nod and slipped an arm around the silent and too pale Tetsuya.

"Come," he said gently, "We will go and rest a bit."

Tetsuya nodded wordlessly and followed him inside, then up the stairs and to their suite. Tetsuya left Kuri standing in the doorway and walked out onto the balcony that overlooked the ocean. He stood, staring at the water and shaking very softly.

"I can't believe this is happening," he said finally, "It didn't seem real until they said 'I do.' Kuri, do you think Byakuya will be all right?"

Kuri slipped his arms around Tetsuya's slim form from behind and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"He will be all right," the Shima leader promised, "We will watch over him, and if Aizen tries to hurt him in any way, we will protect him. Trust me."

As Tetsuya started to answer, he felt a gentle throb of sedative power. He legs gave way and he collapsed into Kuri's arms.

"But tonight, I must protect you," he whispered as he carried Tetsuya to the bed and tucked him in, "Byakurai is right. This would be too distressing for you. _¡Dios mío!_ How did things get to be so desperate?"

He raised a privacy shield around their room, then laid down at Tetsuya's side and nuzzled his cheek.

"Sleep now. _Lo peor va a terminar pronto_." (The worst will be over soon.)

XXXXXXXXXX

"Would you like some champagne?" Aizen asked, pausing as he and Byakuya entered their suite and Byakuya closed the door behind them.

He poured two glasses as the noble silently invoked his power and set a privacy shield in place.

"Byakuya?" Aizen said, holding out one of the glasses.

"No, thank you."

Aizen gave his new spouse a sly smile.

"You are about to lose your virginity to a man. You probably want to make sure your senses are a little scrambled."

"That will not be necessary," Byakuya said, turning away and moving into the private dressing area.

Aizen laughed softly and removed his clothing, then dressed in a black yukata. He walked out onto the moonlit balcony and took sips of champagne as he waited for his husband to return. Byakuya stepped onto the balcony a few minutes later and moved to stand at Aizen's side.

"Are you sure you don't want that drink?" his new spouse asked, smirking, "I don't know if I mentioned before that I have certain _tastes_ that will affect our lovemaking. Now, do you want the champagne or shall we just begin?"

"Do as you wish," Byakuya sighed, looking out over the darkened water, "I agreed to this."

Aizen's arm curled around him from behind and warm lips touched the side of his pale throat, sending a warning chill down his spine.

"Very well," he said, setting down his empty glass, "Let's begin."

Byakuya looked straight ahead and barely kept his body from flinching as his husband's hands touched his face lightly, then made a shiver go through him as he placed a blindfold over the Kuchiki leader's dark, angry eyes.

"I expected that you would employ pain as a way to weaken my spirits," Byakuya said calmly.

"You expect I will hurt you?" Aizen asked sedately, "Why would I do that?"

"You enjoy toying with people, finding their vulnerabilities and using those things against them," Byakuya went on, "especially those whom you feel have wronged you. Before, you used Rukia to cause me pain as a way of punishing me for being head of one of the great noble clans you despised, and now you will make our consummation painful to punish me for Central 46 not keeping their promise to free you."

"You think this is all about Central 46? You don't think I feel anything for you?"

"I don't think you feel anything but contempt for me. Your behavior proves that."

"Does it?" Aizen breathed into his husband's blushing ear, "Or if you think back, can you think of another reason that I chose to use Rukia in my plans, then to accept your hand in marriage?"

"What other reasons could you have? You perhaps want to humiliate me, but you will find it an empty act. I have known humiliation that was deadly. Pain is nothing to me. Fear is nothing to me. I will bear whatever you offer me."

He sucked in a shocked breath as Aizen's hand slid down his arm, and his husband's fingers laced together with his.

"What if what I offer you is love, Byakuya? What then?"

"You do not know the meaning of love. How could you offer me something you could never hope to understand? No, it isn't love you will offer me tonight. You cover my eyes so that I will be uncertain, so that I will be afraid. And you will enjoy playing on my fears, laughing at me when you cause me pain and I react. Isn't that what you did to your fellow captains, Sousuke? Didn't you blind us to who you really were, pretend to be one thing, while being a traitor? A monster? You happily played us against each other, while you held the strings and moved us all in the directions you wanted. There is no love in you, Sousuke Aizen, only lies, deception, manipulation and cruelty."

Aizen's smile took on a wicked edge and he squeezed Byakuya's hand gently.

"You understand me so perfectly, don't you?" he breathed into Byakuya's ear, making the soft lobe blush harder with a teasing lick, "I want you because you understand so well who I am and you accept me, Byakuya."

"I _accept_ you?" the noble repeated, frowning more deeply, "I don't accept you. I despise you."

"Do you?" Aizen asked dulcetly, "Or do you recognize me and respect my power by being wary of me?"

"One should always be cautious around dangerous things," Byakuya concluded.

"I agree," Aizen chuckled softly, sounding as though playing on a bit of humor his noble husband had missed, "And...that is why you will be bound when we are together sexually."

Byakuya caught his breath in surprise at the implication.

"You think I am dangerous to you?" he asked uncertainly, "But why? You control everything, Sousuke. You have greater power, you are physically stronger and you have my word that I will play the role of a devoted spouse to you. You know I value honesty, even though you do not. You have nothing to fear from me at all!"

"So it seems," Aizen answered, curling his arm around Byakuya and guiding him back into the bedroom.

He walked with the noble to the bed and watched as Byakuya carefully climbed onto it and knelt in the middle.

"You look lovely with the moonlight touching your beautiful face," he intoned softly, curving a palm around Byakuya's pale cheek and caressing the edge of the silken blindfold, "_devastatingly lovely..._"

"While I am glad to not be able to see the gleam of wicked intent in your eyes," Byakuya replied calmly.

"So...I am showing you mercy by hiding my wicked intent from your eyes until it is brought down on you?" Aizen inquired teasingly.

"I won't guess at your true intent," Byakuya countered, "It doesn't matter. The torment of being yours is the same either way...and I have chosen this path because it was the only way to honor the debt I owe Ichigo."

"The debt you owe Ichigo?" Aizen asked, frowning, "Why do you owe that young man a thing? He beat down your pride and humiliated you. I know that for a fact. I was in Central 46 as you fought. I heard every insult he cast at you. I saw every injury he placed on your body. How can you say you owe that ridiculous boy a thing?"

"Ichigo freed me to follow my heart, to protect my sister and to take care of the people who matter to me. He went to inhuman lengths to protect Soul Society."

"And for that, you give him your undying loyalty," Aizen acknowledged dryly, "And for helping you honor your debt to him, you give me your physical body and the promise to be a dutiful spouse for life."

"I did agree to that. Yes."

"Very well," Aizen said with an edge of coldness in his voice, "Why don't we just explore _the limits of your devotion_!"


	5. Naked Hearts

**Chapter 5: Naked Hearts**

A sudden warm breeze passed through the open balcony doors and blew across the bed where Byakuya knelt, dressed in a lovely, deep red yukata and with a silken black blindfold over his eyes. It riled his hair and somehow made him shiver inside as he waited in silence to receive for the first time, the affections of his husband, the worst traitor that Soul Society had ever known.

Strangely, even without his sight, he could feel the dangerous caress of those dark, evil brown eyes raking over his body and only trying to decide in which way to torment him first. He forced himself to remain still and focused on taking one slow breath after another as Aizen kept him waiting in darkness and uncertainty about when the most likely unpleasant intercourse would begin.

"I don't know how you stay so calm, my love," Aizen's voice whispered into both ears at once, making Byakuya flinch reflexively.

He made a soft discomfited sound and a shiver went through him as warm hands slipped what felt to be a leather collar around his throat.

"Relax your body," Aizen's voice instructed him, seeming to come at him from multiple angles so he couldn't focus on any one, "I don't want the bindings to be uncomfortable, or too loose."

Byakuya's heart pounded painfully in his chest, but he forced himself to go limp. Aizen's hands touched him in multiple places at once, sliding soft restraints around his wrists, while more hands eased him down onto his back on a pile of soft pillows. Another pair of hands secured his ankles, then parted his thighs and secured them in straps.

_His illusions are so powerful. I don't know which hands are really his and which ones are just the illusions. I can't tell where he is or where he will touch me next._

"Ah," Aizen purred approvingly, "I wasn't sure what to expect from you, but you seem to like this. You're getting aroused."

"I don't know if I can trust either what you say or what I feel," Byakuya answered, "You can make my senses receive whatever you want. And I wouldn't trust you to tell me the truth about anything. Honestly, I don't even know if you're really here, or just standing somewhere and watching as your illusions taunt me. Is this what it's like to be your lover? It is lonely, Sousuke."

Byakuya sucked in a surprised breath as Aizen's warm, wine touched lips claimed his.

"I'm right here."

"Are you?"

"The illusions just make more things possible," Aizen said, kissing him more roughly.

Byakuya stiffened for a moment as he felt several sensations all at once. Fingers ran slowly through the lengths of his hair and touched his face and throat gently as warm mouths captured each of his sensitive nipples and treasured them while the first mouth that had kissed him continued to ravage his hungrily.

_He could have used his powers and forced the others to be watching or even taking part in this..._

The thought made him stiffen again and quiver under Aizen's body.

"What's wrong?" his husband asked.

Byakuya felt the nasty smile that accompanied the softly spoken words.

"Are your fears becoming too much for you, my love? I know. You don't have the slightest idea...who is in this room, who is touching you, or if you might just be alone and tortured by illusions...not touched at all...maybe not bound at all. Right now, I control your entire world, Byakuya."

"I understand," Byakuya answered, forcing calm into his voice, "You want me to feel helpless, whether I really am or not. Does my helplessness look attractive to you?"

"You don't know how much!" Aizen's voice hissed, seeming to come at him from all directions at once, "I know the power that flows through your body, Byakuya. You are a dangerous man, one of the few who might be able to kill me, now that I have abandoned the hogyoku."

"But you know that I have given my word to..."

"And you think your word is enough for me?" Aizen mocked him, "The words of a man who would enter a marriage that is a lie? How stupid do you think I am? I will take no chances with you. But...you did free me. I...owe you for bringing me out of the darkness, Byakuya."

"So, you will reward me by curling your darkness around me?" Byakuya whispered solemnly.

He forced himself to hold perfectly still as Aizen's hands opened his yukata and bared his lovely, slender body completely.

"You don't know what darkness is, my love," Aizen scolded him, his head dipping as he ran his hot tongue along the length of Byakuya's white throat and made his illusory hands tease the nobles nipples and sensitive inner thighs wantonly, "Be glad for that."

Byakuya shivered uncontrollably as Aizen's mouth claimed his forcefully again, and his hands seemed to crawl over every inch of the restrained noble's body, the touches sensual and not at all painful, but terrifying in that he couldn't be sure of the reality of anything he was feeling.

_He could actually be torturing me, and my senses are so confused, I react with arousal instead of screams._

_How will I do this and not lose my mind?_

"Byakuya Kuchiki, the greatest leader of the most powerful and celebrated clan is afraid?" Aizen mused, "He shivers and his heart pounds like anyone else's. How extraordinary!"

_What if he is doing this to train my body to enjoy being tortured?_

"Byakuya..."

_It's just the kind of wickedness he would employ to humiliate me._

"You are so very beautiful."

Byakuya couldn't help crying out as a warm, intense stimulation began in his aroused nether region.

_It's not really him. He would never lower himself to pleasure me that way. I am probably on my knees giving him that pleasure right now._

But as much as he tried to ignore the sensations, they grew stronger and more insistent. Byakuya groaned as something tightened around him, holding him carefully back from climax as the numerous illusory hands stimulated him all over at once, granting him blinding pleasure that nearly unhinged his racing mind.

_Nothing matters anymore...not who I am, not where I am...nothing. I just want this to be over._

"But we've just begun," Aizen whispered into his ear, making him gasp in surprise.

_Is he reading my thoughts too?_

_He's terrifying!_

"Relax," Aizen breathed, licking his earlobe affectionately, "I am not hurting you. I won't kill you. You don't have to be afraid at all, Byakuya. Let yourself enjoy this!"

"I can't tell what is really you," Byakuya confessed, unsure how the words escaped him.

For a moment, the touch of the many hands faded and Byakuya could feel Aizen's warm body stretched out on top of his.

"It's _all_ me," Aizen whispered back, "It's just that there aren't many people strong enough to bear all of me...my powerful body, my wicked mind and my evil heart. It's no wonder even you are afraid, but you don't have to be."

Aizen's fingers touched his lips, caressing lightly for a moment, then teasing their way into his mouth. Byakuya heard his husband's breath catch as he licked and sucked at the offered fingers, bathing them in his saliva.

"You are warming up to this," Aizen said approvingly, "Very good."

"I am just doing what I promised," Byakuya countered, "Nothing more."

"I see," Aizen said, his voice going calm and emotionless, "Well then, I will instruct you in what I enjoy."

Byakuya reeled as he was inundated again with the touches of endless hands touching him in every conceivable place. Hot mouths teased his nipples and crept up the lengths of his inner thighs, converging on his nether region and leaving him quickly breathless as they attacked. Hard, breathy moans escaped him, leaving him blushing at the loss of control. He was sure he was already at the ends of his endurance, when Aizen's warm, wetted fingers slid down and began preparing him, but a staying hand held him back from climax as the pleasure increased to dizzying levels. Byakuya breathed in ragged gasps, his back arching and his body stiffening as it strained for release.

_How is he doing this to me?_

_No one has ever given me such intense pleasure._

_Is this for real?_

The hands on him adjusted his restraints, allowing him to be turned onto his belly. He heard Aizen laugh and blushed as he realized that his hips had risen instantly to receive Aizen's invading member. He tensed sharply in reaction.

_Relax,_ Aizen's voice whispered into his mind, _I told you I won't hurt you._

A possessive hand caressed his longing member slowly as soft kisses and teasing bites resonated everywhere. Byakuya worked to steady his breathing, bracing himself slightly, but making his body relax. Even so, he flinched and groaned at the stinging pain that assailed him as his husband began his entry. Aizen's teeth nipped sharply at the back of his neck, distracting him somewhat as the uncomfortable joining continued. His husband moved in short thrusts, working his way in slowly, then he paused, allowing Byakuya several panting breaths of recovery.

"It's all right. It's in now."

Byakuya quivered as something nudged the very sensitive nerves inside him and Aizen laid softer kisses on his neck and shoulders, letting him adjust gradually. He waited until Byakuya's breathing had slowed and become more even and the noble had stopped shaking, then moved experimentally, and was rewarded with a little weary sigh of submission and relief. More sounds of arousal escaped Byakuya's parted lips and his hips rose to meet Aizen's for a series of increasingly heavy thrusts. Byakuya was sure their joining would end quickly after that, but Aizen seemed to have other ideas, several times bringing them to the edges of bliss, then slowing and holding them back, letting him catch his breath, and intensifying their movements again. He lost all track of how long his husband kept them in that wickedly beautiful and horribly punishing state of heightened arousal and near completion. Byakuya was quaking all over and nearly ready to plead when suddenly, whatever had been holding him back, released and he plunged into an inferno of blindingly beautiful shudders.

Aizen's heat scorched his insides, tearing a scandalously wanton howl from deep in his chest. His own release spilled out in heady pulses as the blindfold was suddenly torn away and he found himself on his knees and unbound, with Aizen still buried in his body and holding him tightly from behind. Then, the sound of rushing blood filled his ears and his vision darkened and clouded. He felt Aizen lay him down on his back and heard his husband's voice, though the words echoed so badly he couldn't understand.

Everything went dark and silent around him for a time, and when he woke again, he found himself alone and dressed in a fresh yukata, lain comfortably in bed and with hot green tea waiting at his bedside. He sat up slowly and unhurriedly addressed the tea, trying not to think about what had taken place before.

_I said that I would perform the duties of a spouse, and that was all this was. I won't romanticize it. He didn't say he loves me. He just wanted to enjoy himself toying with me. And it wasn't horribly unpleasant...just...overwhelming at times. But I will get used to it. It's just that I was virginal and he would be terrifying to anyone._

The thought made him feel inexplicably lonely, and he left the bed to walk out, through the open doors, onto the balcony that overlooked the darkened beach below. He gazed down at the rolling waves, his heart aching at missing the sweet scents and tranquility of his own home and gardens.

_This place is beautiful, but it feels so empty...or is that just my heart?_

The moon, too, was shrouded in clouds, adding to his growing melancholy.

_But I will adjust. I will learn to live with the decisions I made. I did this for Ichigo, and because of it, he is safe and free. It was the right thing to do...no matter how difficult it is being married to a wicked man who doesn't love me._

He closed his eyes against the sudden burning in them, stiffening as Aizen's arm curled around his waist and the other man's lips warmed the skin along the side of his throat.

"Are you all right now?" Aizen asked, "You were overcome from my affections."

"I am fine," Byakuya said stonily, turning his head away, only to have his chin captured and his eyes brought back to meet his husband's.

Aizen's fingertip brushed away an errant tear.

"Don't torment yourself with regrets," Aizen advised him, "You did the only thing you could to see that two innocent men gained their freedom. And even though I'm not innocent, you know that Central 46 owed me something for helping them to end Ywach's reign of terror. Besides, you seemed to enjoy your first intercourse."

"Yes," Byakuya agreed, earning a look of surprise from his husband, "when you weren't trying to terrify me, I found your kisses and touches very arousing. I think I understand too why you need to keep me at a disadvantage. I am in danger of falling in love with you, because I've never really been in love and don't know any better. I am sure, however, that your cruelty will bring me back to my senses soon enough."

"Probably," Aizen agreed, leaning forward to offer him a deep, open-mouthed kiss, "but you seem like a man who can bear the weight of having a cruel lover."

"I will bear what I must," Byakuya agreed, "though I do hope that we can reach a point where we can both be somewhat happy, if not in love."

"That is a lofty goal for you, isn't it?" Aizen chuckled, taking a deep swallow of wine and nuzzling Byakuya's soft cheek, "But who knows. We will be having children together, ne? If you can't love me, you can love that much of me, I'm sure."

Byakuya gave no answer, but slid a hand down to rest on his slim abdomen.

_I wonder if we have conceived our child. The breeder ability doesn't require more than sufficient resonance between souls, although I don't know how much my soul resonates with Sousuke's. We are so different..._

He looked up into the stars, wondering as Aizen's lips sought his again, and his husband captured his hand and led him back inside.

"You wish more from me?" he asked, looking at the bed and feeling a twinge of distress.

"I am tired," Aizen said, setting down his wine glass on the nightstand and sliding in on one side of the bed.

Byakuya took his place on the other side and acquiesced readily to Aizen curling possessively around him. He would have thought the pose would make him feel smothered or inhibited, something other than the warm feeling that invaded at being held close against Aizen's muscular chest.

_I can feel his heartbeat._

The thought set his own heart beating faster.

_There is more than possessiveness in his hands. I can feel it._

_Or is it just what he wants me to feel...to think?_

_Sousuke Aizen is a master of illusions. I wonder if even he is fooled by his own machinations sometimes._

"That's a thoughtful look," Aizen observed over his shoulder, "What are you thinking?"

"I am thinking that I have a lot to learn about the man I married."

"That's funny," Aizen laughed softly, "I was thinking the same thing about you."

"You seem to have me figured out. It isn't difficult," Byakuya surmised.

"Oh, but it is," Aizen breathed into his ear, "You see, I believed you when you said that you would give yourself into a marriage of convenience and serve me in the ways a dutiful spouse would, but I had no idea that you would really try to fall in love with me."

"I am not trying to fall in love with you," Byakuya corrected him, "I am trying not to."

"You do seem conflicted, my love. Sometimes, I even seem to confuse you."

"Hearts are confusing things, aren't they, Sousuke? Just when I think I understand what is in mine, my heart turns corners I would never expect."

"Does it?" Aizen asked, smirking and brushing an errant hair away from Byakuya's comely face, "How so?"

"Even though I know you will hurt me in the end and that I shouldn't trust you, I want to. Even after you lied to me, to all of Soul Society and used us against each other, I want to believe you are capable of really loving me. I am not being naive. I know who you are...and I know what you've done."

"But," Aizen said, gazing down into Byakuya's eyes, "you are a hopeful being. You still hold out hope that I am not the monster you've seen...that there is something more than that. Well, I hate to disappoint you. I am talented at deceiving people."

"Yes, I know," Byakuya agreed, "but when we were intimate, although you used illusions to distract me, I felt what was in your hands...and in your eyes."

"What was that/" Aizen asked, his look more serious, almost a warning.

Byakuya leaned forward and kissed him lingeringly, leaving Aizen staring in wonder.

"You are already in love with me," he said softly, making the other man's eyes flare, "You have been in love with me for a long time, haven't you?"

Aizen's lips curled slightly, but he looked back at Byakuya wordlessly.

"You set Rukia up...and you set Renji against me...because I married Hisana...not you."

Byakuya slid onto his husband's lap and indulged him in a longer, more passionate kiss.

"I am sorry," he apologized, "I didn't know."

"How could you?" Aizen asked, smirking and bringing him down onto his back, slowly undressing him, "I would never reveal something like that...not ever."


End file.
